Dog leads officer to leash during rescue

Rules are rules — even when the house is on fire.

That was the case for Oakley, an American Staffordshire terrier in Aurora, Illinois, who decided escaping the flames could wait until proper protocol was followed.

When Aurora police investigator Michael Ely responded to a house fire, he found Oakley after forcing entry into the home. Ely even removed a gate to give the pup an easy exit. But Oakley didn’t flee — instead, he ran deeper into the smoke-filled house.

Where did he go? Straight to his leash. The good boy parked himself by a door, waiting for someone to clip him in.

Click on the video below to see the four-legged rule follower who refused to leave without his leash!

“Fortunately, nobody was inside the home at the time of the fire besides Oakley,” the police department said in a Facebook post. “The preliminary investigation indicated the fire originated in the attic and there were no signs of foul play.”

Oakley’s owners, who adopted Oakley as a puppy from local rescue Players for Pits, said his favorite activities include snuggling, snoring, sunbathing and eating peanut butter.

“We are forever grateful to Mike at the Aurora Police Department for saving our sweet dog,” the family said.

And now, Oakley can officially add “house fire survivor with impeccable manners” to his résumé.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dog leads officer to leash during fire, see the bodycam video

Reporting by Ronnie Li, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect